WA & OR Exploring

Summer is off to a good start. Conboy Lake NWR in southern WA is nice. After winter in the Mojave Desert it's so green up here. Weather's pleasant. The refuge is small and quiet. Friendly staff. Few visitors. Mostly birders. That makes Loretta's job easy (if sometimes boring) to run the visitor center. Meanwhile, I'm busy with heavy equipment projects.

Schedule flexibility has been great. That's helped with blocks of days off to explore the area. We started with a couple of 3-day trips. First we went west to Panther Creek Campground in nearby Gifford Pinchot National Forest for 2 nights.

The lush, dense forest was so cool. The under story was carpeted with ferns. Branches were draped with "old man's beard" moss.

5,000 Hours

I started resident volunteering in 2012. Beginning as a camp host in Death Valley National Park, Furnace Creek CA. I confirmed a great way to winterize my RV. Just park it by a cactus, palm tree, or both!

After two winters I moved on to Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Lake CO. Summer 2014 I mainly did interpretation. That meant giving historic tours, staffing the visitor center desk and roving trails. Plus managing traffic jams caused by elk and moose, especially during the fall rut. Interpretation was a great learning experience. But I also did a special project: building a pack animal shelter.

Mechanical Drama

Full time RVing isn't for everybody. Homes on wheels have the same issues to deal with as homes on foundations. Plumbing, furnace, water heater, air conditioner, drafts and leaks around doors, windows and roofs. Plus issues having to do with the wheels and associated suspension, engine, transmission, etc.

Before we weighed anchor from Ash Meadows the RV battery bank was (over) due for service. The water level was alarmingly low. After adding a half gallon each to both batteries the plates were still high and dry. Almost another full gallon later all cells were finally flooded. They'd apparently boiled dry. My dang. I didn't expect 5-year old batteries to recover. But they did. They don't hold full charge anymore. But they got us up the road for 2+ weeks of spring migration north last month. I see new batteries in the RV's future. But that expense's at least punted down the calendar for now.

Car Hauler

When Loretta and I started traveling together we had a problem to solve. Between motorhome, camper, car, truck and motorcycle we had 18 wheels! LOL

Sharing the more accommodating 25' motorhome was a no brainer. So I parked the 19' Scamp and stored the motorcycle, which helped. But added to our fleet was a 13' Scamp. Still, 16 wheels. (shrug)

The car couldn't be towed by the motorhome so we rented a car hauler. We trailered the car behind the truck and hitched the little Scamp to the motorhome.

Trailer Lights

Two years ago I built a car hauler. As far as road manners go it's been one of the most well behaved trailers I've ever had. What hasn't worked so well were the tail lights. They were the typical off-the-shelf product just like these.

The problem was: they weren't reliable. The bayonet bulb holders didn't maintain good contact. I had to remove the lens to fuss with one/both bulbs at least once every trip it seemed. So I replaced both with LED versions. Hopefully they will prove more durable. Time will tell. They're brighter, regardless. So it's already a value add.